Maggie Thatcher dies 87 Jeremy Paxman, Martin Amis on her LIfe BBC interview

With perhaps a defining quote of the phenomenon what was Thatcher writer Martin Amis declares that Thatcher "destroyed the class system from both ends."

[@francissookraj3202]

I'm sad to hear Martin Amis has passed away. He was a typical Englishman who didn't mince his words about his opinions on politics or currant affairs. I read London Fields years ago. I'm going to read more of his novels.

[@alexramage1]

His raisin d'etre

[@rishabhaniket1952]

Read his non fiction. I find it better and the work that will likely endure more than his novels.

[@Yowzoe]

@@rishabhaniket1952 I really like Christopher Hitchens, I've heard a lot about Amis. Which non-fiction book of his would you recommend I start with? Which would be a good first read?

[@StratsRUs]

​@@YowzoeHis short stories 'Einstein's Monsters'

[@Yowzoe]

@@StratsRUs thanks, I'll check them

[@warriorofwrestlingv3]

Nicely put

[@alfching2499]

She was the start of what we’ve got today still,Misery

[@sentimentalbloke185]

Yes everything was hunky dory in the winter of discontent until a nasty woman came along & deliberately wrecked it for you.

[@nektekket852]

Absolutely, as Frankie Boyle said, they could have saved a lot of money on her funeral, just give us all a shovel and we'd have handed her over to Satan personally...

[@sentimentalbloke185]

@@nektekket852 Boyle's a twat tho, would've chucked him down with her.

[@Yowzoe]

@@sentimentalbloke185 well, she was a real nasty and inhumane witch...

[@sentimentalbloke185]

@@Yowzoe aren't all politicians?

[@Elitist20]

Weird how Charles Moore talks about 'the Establishment' as though he's not part of it.

[@philip4467]

Glad to hear, makes my day

[@sarahphillips2992]

An interesting debate but the comment about Helmut Kohl had me in stitches🤣🤣🤣🤣

[@m.j.nicholls]

That columnist just said Thatcher was a babe on live TV

[@samsonwilkinson8090]

'The stupid people were right'. How incredibly patronising...

[@markdempsey8622]

Little interesting point from Amis. He talks of England. This is the point. Thatcher (and those who followed) from then until now did not represent the UK. And by that I mean the north of England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. And what guff from her biographer.

[@rabidbigdog]

Charles Moore says the 'stupid people won', except that's new-speak for which really means they 'think they won', but the 1% are running away with the world right now. Thatcher/Reagan, if not started the trend, certainly accelerated it.

[@jasoncoleridge5872]

It's still going on today, you go into any factory in Britain today and ask the average worker and they'll probably say they want Mogg in.. it's utterly bizarre!

[@itsmylife2624]

@@jasoncoleridge5872 Not bizarre, they're both culturally conservative

[@fredfat1606]

a good actress

[@heartofoak45]

I agree on the whole with what the two contributors had to say as regards Thatcher's contribution. Especially the comment of Amiss when he said she had destroyed the class system from both ends. I haven't heard it put like that before, but it is so true. She was a grammar school girl from a hard-working, lower-middle-class family, who was extremely bright. Anyone who can obtain two degrees in two unrelated disciplines has my total admiration. I do not think she was bothered about someone's background, only whether they were competent. There was one area of national life where she was obsequious and that was towards the Monarch. She was a woman for that season, and the country is better for her having lived and contributed as she did. May she rest in peace.

[@nektekket852]

Thatcher is dead. Her condition is satisfactory.

[@lukehottovy7572]

“I think that she has not been taken up by the feminists because she’s so masculine and politician after politician said that they never felt that they were with a woman despite the little scent of Chanel and the occasional refreshing little weeps used to indulge in.”

[@bethh.9647]

Christopher Hitchens called her a minx. He had to be joking.

[@apexxxx10]

kiitos

[@peeg09]

Jeremy Paxman a very sexy man. Sad to hear about his Parkinsons but I know he'll make the best of his life.

[@konstantinopoulos33]

"What do you think she did TO Britain?" - loaded much?

[@markdempsey8622]

I know you posted it three years ago. Thatcher divided Britain to a point where a number of people in the north of England wanted Scottish independence, essentially for the fact they felt a similar betrayal from a distant ruling government that had no consideration for those who had actually built the country. Britain still is quite tribal but quite united, north to south, when people are asked to 'stand up.' The Thatcher years removed that, and it hasn't changed. More divided.

[@Flags.crosses.trailerparks]

It was a good day.

[@rishabhaniket1952]

‘Mrs Thatcher was considered a very attractive woman’😂😂 Despite all of Amis’s attempts to get a great joke in this biographer steals the show with the best one.

[@normanno8514]

yeah what an absolute clown charles moore is

[@alfching2499]

She was only a wicked old Witch

[@starguy321]

The Unions weren't blameless, but Thatcher went far too far

[@jon780249]

Charles Moore the great brown moser of British media politics.

[@mirandac8712]

She had a seznick effect on England.

[@KeithWilliamMacHendry]

And a shite effect on Scotland & Wales, who's peoples were on this island long before the Germanic Saxon English were.

[@46metube]

what is seznick Miranda?

[@mediolanumhibernicus3353]

@@46metube its how Amis pronounces ‘seismic’

[@fifthof1795]

What no one can ever deny about Thatcher is that she was a formidable woman and formidable poitician.

[@normanno8514]

neither of which are necessarily good things if you are also a bad person

[@stephenreeds3632]

So were Hitler, Stalin and Mao. She brought her mealy mouthed, lower middle class, prejudiced, narrow minded values to govern a country. Anyone who values Victorian values of greed, inhumanity, selfishness and hypocrisy....not to mention misery and child prostitution... should not be allowed anywhere near power. We are STILL reaping her dreadful legacy.

[@lordbunbury]

You can use the nicest language to send someone to their death.

[@Yowzoe]

that one attribute has its limits. She was 20% spot-on, and 80% a miserable, inhumane, nasty and small minded disaster for ordinary people.

[@MarquisRex]

Very interesting. What about liberals?

[@lucianopavarotti2843]

Charles Moore is just too awful. Such and old maiden aunt.

[@irish7summits]

When Charles Moore eventually passes to his eternal reward, the cause will surely be boot polish poisoning.

[@Yowzoe]

I believe he has cancer of the nose. It's been in some pretty dark places.

[@blaxtru]

Lord Charles, who lambasts the BBC at every opportunity, but is not averse to using it to plug his (so-so) book.

[@bryanbelshaw7725]

She should've had a proper state burial......when she was alive.

[@StratsRUs]

Charles Moore acting like he isn't one of the Posh. Typical of Posh People.

[@pippipster6767]

MT was certainly not ‘a very attractive woman’ … ludicrous.

[@tonyclifton265]

greatest PM in world history.

[@deepzepp4176]

Have a word with yourself.

[@stephenreeds3632]

Rubbish. Attlee was. The only PM who tried to create a fair, equitable society.

[@MartinGonzalez-ki8kn]

"The 'clever' people were wrong, the 'stupid' people were right". That's why we voted for Brexit too.

[@neilrobson3064]

How’s Brexit panning out for you - getting your fruit back. You must be pleased.....

[@grubbygruber1621]

Nugget !

[@67Parsifal]

Two categories of people voted for brexit:the stupid and the nasty. I suspect you’re both.

[@Horton094]

I CAN USE CAPITAL LETTERS TOO. WOO LOOK AT ME I'M MAKING A POINT. I DON'T LOOK LIKE A CRAZY CAT EATING CARROT WHAT. MEOW.

[@johnjosmith42]

Hilarious.

[@joelanderson5303]

Has anyone checked she is still dead just in case? probably wise...

[@deedrabbit]

I can't wait to see the riots at the wicked witches' funeral. They might need to fire that canon/coffin!! Ding dong!

[@MartinGonzalez-ki8kn]

That aged well. Lefty tosspot.

[@Votedjt2024]

Margaret Thatcher is so funny ladies rest in peace

[@willhovell9019]

What a lacky Charles Moore is

[@georgefraser7143]

Thatcher was a vile human being. End of story. 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿